As you know, the Basset Hound is a medium sized dog. He has a large but proportionate head, with slightly sad eyes and long ears. Loose skin on his forms a dewlap and gives him a distinctive character.

His eyes: Neither do his eyes bulge nor are they deep-set; but they range in color from being mid-brown in light colored Basset Hounds to dark. The red of his lower lids can be seen. If he has light or yellow eyes, they run contrary to the standard. His ears: His ears are low–set, just below eye level. He has long, narrow ears that are fine and smooth in texture that end in an inward curl. His forequarters: The standard lays down that his shoulder blades be laid back. He must ideally have short forelegs with the upper forearm tilting inwards without hindering motion. Some wrinkles on his lower legs are acceptable.

His hindquarters: This part of his body should be well muscled and should ideally look spherical from the rear. The stifles should be well bent and the hocks, though bent a bit under the body, should neither turn in nor out. The skin between the hock and the foot could appear wrinkled.

When a Basset Hound runs contrary to the Standard: Here are some features that disqualify a Basset Hound from being his best:

When your Basset Hound is taller than 15 inches at the highest point of his shoulder blade. If he has knuckled over front legs, this is a disqualifier. It goes against Basset Dog standards to have a long coat. Cow hocks or bowed legs are serious faults. For a Basset, a flat skull is a flaw! A flat-sided body is a no-no too! A tight skin and dry head are what a Basset Hound should not have- after all what’s a Basset Hound without wrinkles? If a Basset Hound’s teeth end in a bite that’s either overshot or undershot it’s a serious fault. A Basset’s ears should not be high set or flat- it should be set far back on the head.